Starting device.



F. ALLISON.

STARTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED June 26,1916.

Patented May 8, 1917.

nrrnn srnrns rnrnn'r orrrora FRED ALLISON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO A. B. C. STARTER COMPANY, 013 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

STARTING DEVICE.

Application filed June 26, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Finn) ALLIsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at De troit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Startin Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

This invention has reference to improvements in starting devices for effecting an initial or preliminary action of an engine and particularly of a combustion engine whereby a charge of fuel may be drawn into place and compressed or some other act essential or desirable to the operation of the mechanism may be accomplished. in its present application this invention relates more particularly to improvements in a starter mechanism adapted under normal conditions to be motor driven and provided with means whereby under abnormal conditions, it may be operated manually.

One object of the invention is to so construct a motor driven starter mechanism that the starter shaft or member may be operated manually without operating the motor.

Another object of the invention is to so construct a starter mechanism having a power transmitting member adapted to be driven by a motor that said member may be disconnected from its transmitting relation to the starter shaft.

Another object of the invention is to improve the construction of starting devices of the general nature herein referred to.

The invention consists in that improvement in the power transmitting means whereby a member adapted to be driven from a motor to transmit power to a starter member may be disconnected from the latter whereby to facilitate manual operation of said starter member.

The invention also consists in the novel construction of the starter mechanism as shall hereinafter be more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1, represents a sectional view of power transmitting and starting mechanism illustrating this invention.

Fig. 2, represents a similar view of parts of the same arranged for manual operation.

331g pres n s a c io al View at t Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1917.

Serial No. 105,97}.

connecting device and its carrier removed from the connecting position.

Fig. 4-, represents a sectional view taken on line 4.4: Fig. l.

In the preferred form shown herein I have shown the present invention as applied to a starting mechanism of a well known kind adapted under normal conditions to be driven by an electric motor. This however is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive as the present improvement is applicable to any starting mechanism having power transmitting means adapted to be 0peratcd at some stage by means of a rotativc element.

In the present embodiment of the invention the starting apparatus cooperates with the crank shaft 5 of any well known internal combustion engine which crank shaft, in the present instance, has the pulley shell 6 having the sleeve 7 spaced from the wall of said shell 6 and havin projecting dogs or members as 8 whereby said sleeve 7, and its dogs as 8, constitutes a clutch member adapted to be engaged by another suitable clutch member.

I At the forward part of the frame 9 is mounted the casing member 10 having the collar 11 the axis of which is in alinement with the axis of the crank shaft 5. In this collar 11 is located the bearing sleeve 12 which has the enlargement 13 seated in a depression in the face of easing member 10. Starting shaf 14; is journaled in the hearing sleeve 12 and has at its forward end the socket head or end 15 which bears in one direction against the end of said sleeve 12, the wall of this socket head 15 having diame rically disposed slots 16, 16 the purpose of which will hereinafter be described. Secured on the starting shaft 14 in abutment with sleeve 12 is the sleeve 17 having at its end the stop flange 18 and the peripheral screw thread or worm 19 extending between said flange 1S and the pin 20 fixed in this sleeve 17.

On the sleeve 17 is mounted the clutch nember 21 which has a screw threaded bore, engaged with the worm 19 of said sleeve 17, and the clutch teeth 22, 22 located diametrically of said clutch member and having edges as 23 extending parallel with the axis of said clutch member and the cam edges 24', 24: extending from the outer ends of edges as 23. The leaf spring 25 is sustained in position to bear against and frictionally resist the rotation of clutch member 21 whereby if the shaft 14 and its sleeve 17 be rotated the clutch member 21 will be advanced, through its engagement with the worm 1.9, toward the crank shaft to engage the teeth 22 22 of said clutch member with the dogs or members as 8 of sleeve 7.

li'founted on the head or end of the starting shaft 14 to, at times, rotate inclependently of said head is the collar 26 which has the flange 27 and is furnished with the diametrically located slots 28, 28 adapted to be brought into registry with the slots 16, 16 of said head or end 15. To the flange 27 of collar 26 is secured the sprocket 29 or other power transmitting member adapted to be driven by any suitable motor and the motor power transmitting mechanism hereafter referred to includes the-collar 26 and the starter shaft 14 when these parts are suitably connected.

Secured to the frame or casing member 10 is the casing member 30 having the screw threaded opening 31 adapted to receive the screw threaded. flange 32 of the closure 33 having head 34 furnished with the bearing which is in axial alinement with the starter shaft 1.4 and at its inner end is enlarged to constitute a clearance. Rotatable in the bearing 35 of the head 34 is the shaft 37 of a diameter to be received by the socket of the head or end 15 of the starter shaft 14 and having the transverse connector pin or member 38 adapted to be received by the slots 16, 16 of said head or end 15 and by the similar slots 28,28 of collar 26. This shaft 37 has the coil spring 39 which bears against the head 34 of said closure 33 and the keeper pin 40 is mounted in said shaft 37 to prevent the withdrawal of said shaft from said bearing 35.

Provision is made to, at times, operate the starter shaft 14 manually. This provision comprises the hand crank 41 having the end or member 42 adapted to be received in the socket of the head 15 of starter shaft 14 and furnished with the cross engagement pin or device 43 adapted to be received by the slots 16, 16 of saidhead 15 but of a length to swing within the collar 26 without engaging the same as is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawmgs.

With the mechanism arranged as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing spring 39 bears against the end 15 of starter shaft 14 and acts as a cushion for said shaft. In this arrangement of the mechanism the connector member or pin 38 connects the collar 26 with said head 15 and motion of the motor driven element is transmitted by said pin to said head 15 to rotate shaft 14 and its worm sleeve 17 whereby worm 19 acts in the complemental bore of clutch member 21 with a tendency to rotate such clutch member. In view of the resistance to such rotation of said clutch member exerted by the spring 25 the action of the worm 19 is to quickly advance said clutch member 21 until its teeth 22, 22, by means of their edges 23, 23 engage the dogs or members as S of the crank shaft clutch member and such clutching movement of member 21 is arrested by the flange 18 of said sleeve 17. At this time clutch member 21 will be forced to rotate with said sleeve 17 and its starter shaft 14 and, by its engagement with the dogs as 8, will effect the turning over or initial operation of crank shaft 5 and the usual mechanism connected therewith to provide initial compres sion of fuel in the engine. Upon the ignition of such fuel the engine becomes self operating and the speed of rotation of shaft 5 is accelerated beyond the speed of said clutch member 21 driven by shaft 14 and sleeve 17 with the result that the dogs or members as 8 will now act against the cam edges 23 23 of said member 21 and cause the latter to rotate in a reverse or unclutching direction which. owing to the engagement of said member 21 with worm 19, will cause the clutch member 21 to move rapidly toward pin 20 until said clutch member 21 is disenged from the dogs as S. hen the clutch member 21 strikes the pin 20 the shock is cushioned somewhat by the spring 39 bearing against the end of the starter shaft 14.

At times, as when the motor driven star ing mechanism is broken or when an electric starting motor is used and the electric current therefor fails it is desirable and sometimes necessary to effect the initial rotation or operation of the crank shaft 5 by manually operated means. In this latter case it is of course desirable to avoid the drag which would occur through the manual operation of the motor or any other mechanism the operation of which is not necessary to the initial operation of the crank shaft.

In order to prepare this improved starting mechanism for manual operation I disconnect the starter shaft 14 from the power transmitting mechanism by disconnecting the head 15 from collar 26 by removing the pin This is accomplished by first unscrewing the closure 33 from casing member 30 thereby drawing pin 33 out of the slots 16, 16 and 28, 28 respectively of the shaft head 15 and of the collar 26 so that head 15 and its shaft 14 may rotate independently of said collar 26 and motor power transmitting mechanism of which said collar may be considered a terminal when so disconnected. Starter shaft 14 may now be manually operated through the medium of the crank 41 by introducing the end 42 thereof into the socket of the starter shaft head 15 and engaging pin 43 of said crank end 42 in the slots 16, 16 of said head 15. When the starter shaft 1 f is caused to rotate through the operation of crank 41 the clutch connection member 21 is actuated in the same general manner as when the starter shaft is operated through motor mechanism. It is to be noticed that in either case a sudden increase in the rotation of the crank shaft 5 from any cause will not be transmitted to the starter shaft 14 but will be expended in reversely rotating clutch member 21 until said member becomes disengaged from the dogs as 8.

While I have shown a specific means for releasably connecting the starter shaft and the motor operated mechanism it is not my intention thereby to limit my invention exrcpt as herein claimed.

Having thus described my invention 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent.

1. Starting mechanism of the nature described comprising an engine crank shaft, a. starter shaft in alinement with said crank shaft, coupling means actuated in one di. rection through rotation of said starter shaft, power transmitting means having a terminal member, and releasable means for fixedly connecting said terminal member with said starter shaft.

2. Starting mechanism of the nature described comprising an engine crank shaft, a starter shaft in alinement with said crank shaft and adapted to be operated by a crank, a coupling clutch for said shafts, a power transmitting gear rotatable about the axis of said starter shaft, and releasable means to fixedly connect said gear with said starter shaft.

3. Starting mechanism of the nature described comprising an engine crank shaft, a starter shaft, means automatically to couple and uncouple said shafts, a means adapted to be manually operated to rotate said starter shaft, a power transmitting means rotatable on said starter shaft, and releasable means to fixedly connect said transmitting means and said starter shaft.

l. Starting mechanism of the nature described comprising an engine crank shaft, a starter shaft, means carried by said starter shaft automatically to couple with said crank shaft, a power transmitting means having a member rotatable about the axis of said starter shaft, and releasable means to lock said member to said starter shaft.

5. Starting mechanism of the nature described comprising an engine crank shaft, :1 starter shaft, means carried by said starter shaft automatically to couple with said crank shaft, a power transmitting means having a member rotatable about the axis of said starter shaft, and rotatable releasable means to lock said member to said starter shaft.

6. Starting mechanism of the nature described comprising an engine crank shaft, a starter shaft, means carried by said starter shaft automatically to couple with said crank shaft, a power transmitting means having a member rotatable about the axis of said starter shaft, and a rotatable shaft having means to engage said member and said starter shaft.

7. Starting mechanism of the nature de scribed comprising a starter shaft rotatably mounted, a power transmitting member rotatable about the axis of said shaft, said shaft and said member having slots, means to engage said slots, and a rotatable carrier for said means.

8. Starting mechanism of the nature described comprising a starter shaft rotatably mounted, a power transmitting member rotatable about the axis of said shaft, said shaft and said member having radial slots, :1 pin engaged in said slots, and rotatable ieans releasably mounted to carry said pin.

9. Starting mechanism of the nature described comprising a starter shaft rotatably mounted, a power transmitting member rotatable about the axis of said shaft, said shaft and said member having radial slots in their ends, a member releasably mounted, a shaft journaled in said member, and a pin carried by said last mentioned shaft and engaged in said slots.

10. Starting mechanism of the nature de scribed comprising a starter shaft rotatably mounted and having a socket end furnished with radial slots, a power transmitting member rotatable on said shaft and also having radial slots, and a shaft rotatably mounted and having an end received by the socket of said starter shaft, and having a transverse pin engaged in the slots of said starter shaft and transmission member.

11. Starting mechanism of the nature described comprising a starter shaft rotatably mounted and having a socket end furnished with radial slots, a power transmitting member rotatable on said shaft and also having radial slots, a member releasably mounted and having a rotatable shaft, to be received by the socket of said starter shaft, and furnished with means to engage said slots, and a spring mounted on said last mentioned shaft and bearing against the end of said starter shaft.

FRED ALLISON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, I). C. 

